Danube Sturgeonshttps://danube-sturgeons.org
WWFMon, 21 Jan 2019 06:05:00 +0000en-UShourly1Connect2Sturgeons – virtual trip to the world of sturgeons in the Danube Deltahttps://danube-sturgeons.org/connect2sturgeons-virtual-trip-to-the-world-of-sturgeons-in-the-danube-delta/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/connect2sturgeons-virtual-trip-to-the-world-of-sturgeons-in-the-danube-delta/#respondTue, 15 Jan 2019 15:08:09 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6763The project Connect2Sturgeons is created in WebVR format, which applies the technology of virtual reality in a web browser. The story of the Connect2Sturgeons interactive journey had been filmed in 2018, in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. The virtual trip has 5 different scenes, where users can see the Danube Delta and part of the Black Sea from a bird’s eye view, they can visit “kilometer zero” in the delta, where wild sturgeons live, to observe fishermen in Vylkove, and just a few clicks later, to learn how sturgeons are bred in aquaculture.

Guide in the world of sturgeons is Inna Hoch, ichthyologist at WWF Ukraine and coordinator of the project “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” in Ukraine.

“According to the data of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sturgeons are the most endangered group of species worldwide. Not so long ago there were 6 sturgeon species in the Danube River and as of today one of the native Danube species is already extinct and four others are critically endangered. In Ukraine, all of the wild native Danube sturgeons are protected by the Ukrainian Red Book of Threatened Species. The main reasons for the extinction of the wild sturgeons are poaching – for their meat and caviar, the built-in obstacles that cut short sturgeons’ migration routes, water pollution, the loss of habitat. That is why we need to actively educate our fellow citizens in Ukrainian about nature protection and the importance of sturgeons for the Danube River”, says Inna Hoch.

During the virtual trip, users will be able to find interesting facts about the biodiversity of the Danube Delta, as well as, how directly to help protect sturgeons in Ukraine, as all these details will appear after the end of the 5th scene.

“Often, in order to understand something, it’s worth seeing it at least once. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity and time to visit the Danube Delta and enjoy the abundance of wild species. At the same time, according to some data, Ukrainians spend at least 30% of their time on the Internet and in online social networks. So, we had the idea to “shorten the distance” and bring the world of sturgeons a little closer to everyone with the help of technologies. The actual filming of the scenes took place in the autumn, it was quite cold, especially at “kilometer zero” and we had to wrap ourselves in blankets, but it was worth it”, says Mila Arseniuk, Marketing and Communications coordinator at WWF Ukraine.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/connect2sturgeons-virtual-trip-to-the-world-of-sturgeons-in-the-danube-delta/feed/0Fishing Sterlet in Serbia is officially bannedhttps://danube-sturgeons.org/fishing-sterlet-in-serbia-is-officially-banned/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/fishing-sterlet-in-serbia-is-officially-banned/#respondWed, 02 Jan 2019 06:14:52 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6522This is a great success for WWF Serbia, the United Fishermen of Serbia and the Association of Commercial Fishermen.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia has adopted a permanent fishing ban on Sterlet, which will significantly contribute to the restoration of populations of this endangered fish species.

The Sterlet fishing ban will be in force from 1st of January 2019.

WWF Serbia had conducted a study in June, showing that in Serbia, Sterlet is intensively fished during the seasonal spawning ban, under the legally allowed size of 40 cm, and has been sold illegally in restaurants and markets across Serbia. WWF Serbia expects this illegal practice to cease with the implementation of the new regulation.

“The introduction of the ban is a result of the joint work of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and WWF Serbia, which shows the importance of cooperation between state institutions and civil society organisations. According to the “Environmental Report in the Republic of Serbia” in 2017, the catch of Sterlet increased by about 44%. We believe that the ban on fishing Sterlet will enable the restoration of the population of this species, which is very vulnerable worldwide. This is a great success for nature conservation in Serbia”, says Duška Dimović from WWF Serbia.

According to the IUCN’s Red list, Sterlet is a vulnerable species due to overfishing, destruction of natural habitats and water pollution. The initiative of WWF Serbia was supported by the United Anglers of Serbia and the Association of Commercial Fishermen.

“We want to commend a successful example of cooperation between the experts, civil society organisations and the relevant ministry, on the protection and conservation of biodiversity. At the same time, we invite all competent institutions to make additional efforts in order to bring this permanent ban into force. We hope that the Sterlet ban will not be one of the cases when the enforcement of rules remain just on paper“, says the Executive Director of the United Fishermen of Serbia, Ljubomir Pejčić.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/fishing-sterlet-in-serbia-is-officially-banned/feed/0Caviar in trade – what you have to know not to harm wild sturgeonshttps://danube-sturgeons.org/caviar-in-trade-what-you-have-to-know-not-to-harm-wild-sturgeons/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/caviar-in-trade-what-you-have-to-know-not-to-harm-wild-sturgeons/#respondThu, 06 Dec 2018 14:40:16 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6398Few foods have captured the luxury market quite like caviar, especially at the festive season around Christmas and New Year. At this time of year, many people are ready to spend more and buy some delicacies such as sturgeon meat and caviar.

Wild sturgeons are highly endangered and all species of sturgeons are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). At present, international trade in wild caviar from shared stocks – like from the Danube and the Black Sea – is not allowed. Also, fishing sturgeons is strictly prohibited in most countries.

However, illegal fishing and trade in sturgeons are found to continue. Law enforcement authorities have the power to banish illegal sturgeon products from the market. Also, responsible and informed traders and consumers can take care not to buy caviar from poached sturgeons.

“Sturgeon populations have severely declined in the past decades: poaching and illegal trade in wild caviar are the main threats to sturgeons”, says Jutta Jahrl caviar trade expert at WWF and presenter in the video “Sturgeon Caviar Labelling Requirements”.

A mandatory label with a prescribed code distinguishes legal from illegal caviar.

Every tin or jar of sturgeon caviar must bear such a non-reusable label that seals the container or shows when it is opened. The code of letters and numbers provides information on the source and origin of the caviar.

The clever system of labelling, how to read this code and other important things to know about caviar and other sturgeon products in trade, are explained in a detailed brochure “Sturgeons and Caviar” and in the video “Sturgeon Caviar Labelling Requirements”, which can be found on this website.

The materials were produced in the project LIFE FOR DANUBE STURGEONS to assist the law enforcement authorities in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine in combating sturgeon poaching and illegal trade.

The video “Sturgeon Caviar Labelling Requirements” can be watched in English and with subtitles in Bulgarian, Romanian Serbian and Ukrainian. For each language version, please check the respective language web-page, section Project Materials, video gallery.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/caviar-in-trade-what-you-have-to-know-not-to-harm-wild-sturgeons/feed/0Conference on finding alternative livelihood for fishermenhttps://danube-sturgeons.org/conference-on-finding-alternative-livelihood-for-fishermen/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/conference-on-finding-alternative-livelihood-for-fishermen/#respondMon, 03 Dec 2018 09:00:10 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6498On 16 -17 November in Nikopol, WWF Bulgaria organised a two-day conference on the economic development and future of the fishing communities in the region. The event was part of the project “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” and had to initiate a discussion on finding new business opportunities, as an alternative to fishing wild sturgeons, for the communities in the region of Nikopol and Belene on the Danube River.

Prior to the conference, in 2017 WWF Bulgaria conducted a study on the socio-economic situation of several fishing communities along the Danube River. The results of the analysis showed an alarming demographic decline, aging population, limited business opportunities and a widespread sense of despair due to lack of alternatives.

At the same time, these fishing communities play an important role in the conservation of the wild Danube sturgeons, thus many activities within the project “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” have been designed to include fishermen in the protection of the last viable sturgeon populations in the river.

At the conference WWF Bulgaria and fishermen discussed ideas for finding alternative income sources based on the available resources in the region. Among the business opportunities are creation of eco-tourism and improvement of the existing infrastructure, focus on local products, authentic food and hospitality. The river itself can generate tourism via the international cruise ships touring around the Danube. Next step will be a specific business plan to be developed with the participation of local communities and the support of WWF Bulgaria.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/conference-on-finding-alternative-livelihood-for-fishermen/feed/0Hope for sturgeons as European states adopt action plan to save continent’s most endangered fish specieshttps://danube-sturgeons.org/hope-for-sturgeons-as-european-states-adopt-action-plan-to-save-continents-most-endangered-fish-species/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/hope-for-sturgeons-as-european-states-adopt-action-plan-to-save-continents-most-endangered-fish-species/#respondFri, 30 Nov 2018 11:49:56 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6367Strasbourg, November 30th – After decades of plummeting numbers due to poaching and habitat loss, Europe’s sturgeon species have been given some much needed hope at last after 50 European countries and the European Union today signed up to a detailed continental-wide action plan to save the iconic fish.

The landmark commitment was adopted in Strasbourg by the Standing Committee of theBern Convention, the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats – a legally binding regional conservation treaty, covering most of the natural heritage of the European continent.

The Pan-European Sturgeon Action Plan covers 8 European sturgeon species[1], 7 of which are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, while the last is classified as vulnerable to extinction. The plan aims to conserve the last surviving populations, restore habitats, end poaching and reintroduce sturgeon to many rivers.

“We now have a chance to save Europe’s sturgeons: extraordinary fish that can grow as big as a car and lived alongside the dinosaurs,” said Beate Striebel-Greiter. “European countries have stood by as sturgeons have vanished from all but a handful of rivers but now they have finally agreed to work together to save these amazing fish from extinction.”

While a couple of centuries ago they were widespread, nowadays sturgeon’s situation is dire – currently natural reproduction is registered in only two European rivers – the Danube and Rioni in Georgia. Small native populations are found in the Gironde river system in France and the Po in Italy, however they are probably not reproducing.

Globally 85% of sturgeon species are threatened with extinction, rendering them the most endangered species group in the world, according to IUCN.

Developed by WWF and the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, in cooperation with many international experts, the plan includes a range of measures to protect the existing populations as well as identify and protect other natural sturgeon habitats and migration corridors. European countries also committed to creating gene banks and taking other steps to reintroduce sturgeons back into the wild. Indeed, France, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands, have already started reintroduction programmes.

Critically, the plan also outlines actions that countries will take to tackle poaching and the illegal trade in wild sturgeon products – the most immediate threat to the survival of the species.

“Cracking down on poaching and the illegal trade in wild caviar will buy the necessary time to allow other conservation efforts to safeguard the species in the long term to become functional”, said Jörn Gessner, sturgeon expert at World Sturgeon Conservation Society. “Countries need to do more than just sign this agreement, they must urgently take steps to implement it and work together: otherwise we will witness the extinction of these species in our lifetime.” Sturgeons are ideal umbrella species due to the fact that they live long, mature late, and use many different habitats. Measures to improve habitats and integrity of populations taken for sturgeons will also benefit other species and communities. As such they are invaluable as indicators for environmental health.

Sturgeon populations in the Danube river have been dropping over the past 50 years. The loss of this ancient fish would have serious consequences for the health of the river and the Danube’s fishing communities alike.

Learn about the ordinary heroes working to protect the sturgeon habitat, the animals and communities that depend on it.

Thomas Friedrich

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria

Manager of the Vienna-based “Life-Sterlet” recovery project

“Today, Europe’s sturgeons are threatened by overfishing, habitat reduction, dams and other physical barriers to their migration routes. With the EU’s help, we are working with different countries in the region to overcome these threats.”
“Sturgeons play an important role in the whole ecosystem. By combining research and active conservation, it is possible to improve the river for all of its inhabitants – from fish to human.”
“It’s about more than one species. It’s about whether our society decides that we value a healthy environment.”

Ekaterina Voynova

WWWF Bulgaria, Project Coordinator “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons”

“Bulgaria is a major producer of legal caviar worldwide. Because of their high-end status, wild sturgeon eggs have fallen prey to poachers in the illegal caviar trade.”
“Through this EU-funded project, we work with Bulgarian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Serbian law enforcement officers to protect wild sturgeon spawning along the whole lower Danube, from the Iron Gate all the way to the Black Sea.”

Jutta Jahrl

WWF Austria, Project Manager “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons”

“We coordinate the EU project committed to protecting sturgeons. We work directly with fishing communities in the Danube region who have depended on sturgeons for generations.”
“We hold public talks and training sessions with the fishermen to understand their needs and look into alternative livelihoods such as tourism or manufacturing local products.”

Cristina Munteanu

WWF Romania, Project Coordinator “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons”

“Through the EU’s Danube conservation project, we’ve developed an educational kit for young people. It provides information about the Danube, its sturgeons and other natural resources.”

“This project is about more than just education, and it applies beyond Romania: We try to prepare people in the Danube region to create revenue in their communities as well as cultivate a respect for theirsurroundings.”

Our project “LIFE FOR DANUBE STURGEONS” focuses on saving the flagship fish of the Danube – sturgeons. The reasons for the decline are complex, but lack of awareness and information is a root cause of the most important one, overexploitation. Despite strict legal protection, illegal fishing and trade in meat and caviar from wild sturgeons still endanger the last survivors of these ancient and iconic fish species.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/saving-the-sturgeon-how-the-eu-is-conserving-nature-and-supporting-locals-in-the-danube-2/feed/0National workshop for law enforcement authorities in Serbiahttps://danube-sturgeons.org/national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-serbia/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-serbia/#respondFri, 16 Nov 2018 19:40:07 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6215At the end of October, WWF Serbia with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, held a one-day workshop: „Improving the implementation of the national laws for protection and conservation of sturgeon species“, as part of the „LIFE for Danube Sturgeons“ project.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministry for Environmental Protection, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research – University of Belgrade, Public Enterprise “Srbijašume”, Customs Bureau, Appellate Court in Niš, Public Prosecutor Office in Belgrade, Provincial Secretariat for Urban Planning and Environmental Protection, the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia and fish wardens.

At the beginning of the workshop, WWF Serbia presented the results of the study: „Assessment of the national norms and procedures implement by law enforcement authorities for the protection and conservation of sturgeon species in Serbia”, which was conducted as part of the project activities.

Another presentation was made by Pavle Jovanović, Head of the Group for implementation of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in Serbia. Pavle Jovanović talked about CITES regulations and requirements for cross-border trade in sturgeon species and sturgeon products, such as meat and caviar.

Important for the workshop was the presence of Jasmina Jović, Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, who earlier this year supported the initiative of WWF Serbia for introducing a five-year ban on fishing Sterlet.

Sterlet is the only sturgeon specie of the six native Danube sturgeons that is not strictly protected in Serbia, and fishing Sterlet is allowed in certain time periods and on condition the fish is bigger than 40 cm.

„There are no recent scientific studies on the condition of Sterlet’s population in Serbia and the Ministry allocated a budget for such research in 2019. Once we have some accurate data collected on the number of Sterlets and their age structure, we can make future plans and decide whether its status should be changed to strictly protected or it should remain protected with certain limitations in fishing“, says Jasmina Jović, Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

On behalf of WWF Serbia, Duška Dimović, Director of the organisation, pointed out that protection of sturgeons is one of the priorities of WWF on a global level, reminding that sturgeons are listed in the IUCN’s Red List, where they are categorised as critically endangered and nearly extinct.

„For us was very important that this year we had official representatives on a ministry-level from Serbia who took part in the European Sturgeon Conference in July in Vienna. The meeting was organised under the Austrian EU Presidency where high-ranking experts from the European Union and neighbouring countries met in Vienna to discuss the transnational protection of sturgeon species in the Danube River.

WWF cooperates with the World Sturgeon Conservation Society to establish a new Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons. It will be submitted under the Bern Convention (Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats), and will serve as a guiding framework for all sturgeon range states in Europe. Since Serbia has ratified the Bern Convention, it will be obligatory for Serbia to implement the action plan”, says Duška Dimović, director of WWF in Serbia.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-serbia/feed/0Two training videos on sturgeon identification available in five languageshttps://danube-sturgeons.org/two-training-videos/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/two-training-videos/#respondWed, 14 Nov 2018 15:16:27 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6196Two sturgeon identification videos were produced this autumn as part of the “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” project in order to help law enforcement officials to differentiate native sturgeon species but also species and hybrids which can be found in fish farms and sometimes also in natural rivers.

The videos are quite unique, as they provide a very comprehensive overview of the main features of sturgeons and expert support on how different sturgeon species can be identified by knowing their main characteristics.

Presenter in both videos is Thomas Friedrich, fisheries biologist at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and Project Manager of the LIFE-Sterlet project.

Together with a filming crew from WWF Austria, Thomas spent a whole day of presenting sturgeon species in a controlled environment, a pond outside Vienna, where many different representatives of the sturgeon family are kept.

Filming live animals has its charm and challenges. The team had to show specimen that look typical for the Danube sturgeons and the most common hybrids and non-native sturgeon species that can be found in the Lower Danube region.

Filmed were five sturgeon species native to the Danube river: Beluga (Huso huso), Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Stellate Sturgeon (Acipenserstellatus), Ship Sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) and Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) as part of the “Identification of the Wild Danube Sturgeon Species” video.

For the second video “Exotic Sturgeon Species and Hybrids”, species that are not indigenous to the Danube and crossbreeds common in aquaculture were filmed: Bester (Beluga x Sterlet), a hybrid between Russian Sturgeon x Sterlet, Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and Adriatic Sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii).

Both videos will be used in trainings for capacity building of the Law Enforcement Authorities in the four target countries of the project: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine.

The videos can be watched in English and with subtitles in Bulgarian, Romanian Serbian and Ukrainian. For each language version, please check the respective language webpage, section Project materials/videos.

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/two-training-videos/feed/0National workshop for law enforcement authorities in Romaniahttps://danube-sturgeons.org/a-national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-romania/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/a-national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-romania/#respondWed, 07 Nov 2018 15:55:09 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6096On the 30th and 31st of October in Tulcea, WWF Romania organised a National Workshop for the authorities involved in the protection of the wild Danube sturgeons. The event was part of the “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” project, where WWF Romania and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority in Tulcea (DDBRA) are partner organisations for the implementation of the project in Romania.
(c) ARBDD

The workshop gathered more than fifty representatives from different institutions: the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the General Inspectorate of Police, the Police Transport Department, the Danube Delta Police Service, the General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie, the General Customs Directorate, Border Police, from the University of Galati and other non-governmental entities.

During the first day, several presentations were made, where Tudor Ionescu from the University of Galați, brought up the scientific perspective speaking about sturgeons, their life-cycle and the decline of sturgeon populations in the Danube river. Later on, presented were the two studies carried out within the project “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons”: assessment of the socio-economic situation of the fishing communities, where the project operates, and finding possible alternative sources of income for these communities. The second study is an analysis of the norms and procedures applied in Romania for the control of sturgeon fishing and trade.

(c) ARBDD

The highlight of the day were the discussions held in three thematic groups on aquaculture, fishing and trade. Much had been talked about the use of modern technology for better control and prevention of illegal sturgeon fishing, the need of more strict control and serious punishments for those who are involved in illegal sturgeon fishing and trade and about improving the information flow and collaboration between relevant institutions.

(c) ARBDD

At the second day, WWF Romania showed the training videos produced within the “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” project: on identification of the wild native Danube sturgeons and identification of exotic and hybrid sturgeons, and on the CITES caviar labelling requirements. The videos were very well received and representatives of several law enforcement authorities expressed interested in receiving training on sturgeon identification and on the CITES requirement for caviar labelling.

The workshop continued with a visit to the aquarium in Tulcea, which is part of the Danube Delta museum. The participants had a guided tour through the history, nature and cultural richness of the Danube Delta and the culmination of the visit was the aquarium with live sturgeon species.

“The National workshop was a real success, firstly because we had a large and diverse number of participants, and secondly, the level of the meeting was very good – important issues on sturgeon protection were openly discussed and the participants came up with concrete suggestions for tackling the illegal fishing and trade of sturgeons in Romania.” – says Cristina Munteanu, Project Coordinator “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons” WWF Romania. – “Moreover, we were glad to hear that at the beginning of October, relevant authorities in the field of fisheries control had signed a protocol for cooperation in fighting illegal fishing.”

]]>https://danube-sturgeons.org/a-national-workshop-for-law-enforcement-authorities-in-romania/feed/0WWF Bulgaria sends alert for the start of winter migration of Sterlethttps://danube-sturgeons.org/6044/
https://danube-sturgeons.org/6044/#respondTue, 30 Oct 2018 06:34:55 +0000https://danube-sturgeons.org/?p=6044WWF Bulgaria, one of the project partners in the “LIFE for Danube Sturgeons”, used its social media channels to notify fishermen and the general public for the start of the winter migration of the native Danube Sterlet.

Earlier this year, during a planned monitoring expedition, a team of WWF Bulgaria registered 100 young Sterlet, found close to the village of Vetren, on the Bulgarian part of the Danube river. During the monitoring expedition, the team tagged and measured the young Sterlet, took genetic samples and released the juveniles back into the river. A few months later, at the beginning of autumn, the Sterlets began swimming back to their winter grounds, which makes the species vulnerable and easy to catch.

Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is the smallest species of the Danube sturgeons and resides for its whole lifecycle in freshwater without migrating to the Black Sea. This species is largely sedentary, undertaking only short spawning migrations. Tagging has revealed a maximum migration distance in the Danube of just over 300 km. Nowadays Sterlet is the most widely distributed sturgeon in the Danube River basin, but still listed as vulnerable species.

WWF reminds the public that fishing Starlet in Bulgaria is illegal and if any Sterlet becomes an accidental bycatch, the fish should be released back into the water. Citizens are invited to contact the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture if they witness or acquire information for fishing or trade in wild Sterlet. In Bulgaria in place is a fishing ban for any of the six wild Danube sturgeons until 2021.

Conservation of freshwater populations became a serious worldwide problem. The latest WWF’s report “Living Planet 2018” shows that globally the populations of freshwater fish have declined by 83% since 1970. The WWF’s “Living Planet” report is published every two years and presents an up-to-date picture of the human impact on nature.